Things Not to Do When Driving Close to Trucks
If you or someone you love has been injured in a trucking accident, contact an attorney at the Greeneville TN Berkley Law Firm PLLC today. We can help you handle the intricacies of a legal case against a large trucking company.
However, our primary concern is for the safety of our clients and for drivers all over the country, so if you spend any time at all on the road, it is important that you consider the following advice to stay safe and avoid collision with trucks.
Slowing Down
The enormous weight behind a truck makes it impossible for it to stop quickly. A truck going 55 mph on a flat, dry highway can take over the length of a football field to come to a complete, safe stop, so avoid cutting in front of a truck only to begin braking immediately.
Tailgating Trucks on Greeneville Roads
Tailgating trucks is more dangerous than tailgating other cars because the tires of a truck are significantly larger than the tires of an average car. If a truck suffers a tire blowout and you are tailgating, a piece of rubber approximately six feet long and eight inches wide could come slamming into your windshield.
Additionally, being so close behind a truck makes it impossible for you to see what is happening in front of the truck. If a truck brakes frantically for a reason you can not see, you may be unable to avoid running into the back of the truck. Keep a safe following distance so you are not blind to the rest of the road.
Turns
Most trucks have signs that say things like “wide right turns.” It is critical that other drivers respect these signs, because trucks also have much larger blind spots than most cars. If other drivers linger in a truck’s blind spot and then the truck begins to turn without having seen the other driver, the truck will many times hit the other car without even seeing it.
